


A Love Worth Fighting For

by youdont_say



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Angst, Coping, Crying, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Healing, M/M, Post-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:09:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28180695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youdont_say/pseuds/youdont_say
Summary: Byakuya and the remaining survivors finally escape Hope’s Peak after the tragedies and horrors they experienced inside of the school. Everyone had been inspired by Makoto’s overwhelming optimism and unwavering hope, Byakuya included. Although, overtime Byakuya begins to realize that Makoto’s hope isn’t the only captivating thing about him.
Relationships: Naegi Makoto/Togami Byakuya
Comments: 7
Kudos: 46





	A Love Worth Fighting For

**Author's Note:**

> hi guys!! 💞 here’s the first chapter to the multi-chapter fic i’ve been talking about for awhile!! i scrapped a few ideas, edited my thoughts and came up with this as a final result! i have a very rough idea where i’m going to take this, but i’m honestly not too sure!! i think i’ll come up with things as i go, because i had a TON of fun writing this first chapter. 
> 
> i can’t thank you all enough for the overwhelming amount of love i’ve received on Guilt, Plain And Simple. it boggles my mind that so many of you stuck around for so long to read all of the chapters. i hope you all will like this one as much as you did g,pas! 💕

As the colossal metal doors began to part, the brilliant light shining inside Hope’s Peak made the six survivors simultaneously wince and use their arms to shield their eyes. All but Byakuya, who opted for squinting. All of them stood there, feet seeming to be stuck to the floor. Of course they all wanted nothing more than to be out of the hellhole that had caused the single most traumatic event in all of their lives, yet it still felt unlawful to be leaving. Togami blinked a few times to clear his vision, still having trouble making out what was in front of him. Of course the doors would open slowly, they were thicker than everyone left standing side by side. Although, the agonizingly slow pace of these massive metal blocks parting was beginning to get on Byakuya’s nerves. They were shaking the entire building, the ground seemed to be trembling underneath their feet. As some progress had finally been made, the six of them were met with the absolute horror that was the outside world. The blond heard Fukawa gasp, followed by the abrupt sound of Makoto slamming his hand over his mouth in sheer terror.

“Dude!” Yasuhiro cried, immediately throwing his arms into a defensive position. One was stretched above his head, the other just below his chin as if to protect his face. None of them dared to take the first step outside, if you could even call it a habitable place.

In every book, TV show or movie you’d ever seen about a post-apocalyptic world, the sky always shone a blazing, vibrant red. This proved to be untrue, the survivors being met with a dismal grey sheet of clouds. There wasn’t a sliver of open area in sight, the clouds acting as a blanket to shield the sun. There was wreckage as far as anyone could see, debris and broken pieces of.. everything scattered around. Byakuya stood powerless as the pit in his stomach grew bigger than what was manageable. The air purifier inside of the school was rendered useless by that point, the doors that caused the need for a purifier in the first place were wide open. It seemed as if he wasn’t alone in that department, although Asahina’s reaction was a lot more visual than his own. The swimmer took her first few steps outside, they were quick and panicked. She had disappeared to the side as soon as she started to run, the sounds she made causing the other five wince in disgust. Byakuya guessed Aoi didn’t exactly have the strongest stomach, she had just been sick at the first taste of air. 

And just like that, they stepped out alongside her. And as if on cue, the bleak situation grabbed Togami by the shoulders.

There they were, six remaining survivors, facing a world they had no idea was inhabitable. Byakuya’s entire family was dead, the Togami legacy was no more. Well, with him being the only exception. He was the sole survivor of his entire family, every single responsibility fell onto him. In a world like this however, what duties would the heir possibly have to fulfill? The entire world seemed to have quite literally fallen apart in the years he had unknowingly barricaded himself inside of the school with the rest of his classmates. They had spent two years together, living as normally as possible, and it was nothing but a fucking lie. They had been exposed to the despairing truth just as they regained their memories of the tragedy, and everything they had ever known went swirling down the drain, far out of their reach. To put it simply, Togami was destroyed. He was almost hopeless, almost. The blond had been ready and willing to call Hope’s Peak his new home, living there with the rest of the survivors and the devil herself, Junko Enoshima. There was a shining hope that had singlehandedly convinced the five other survivors on the brink of giving up to chose hope and prevail. Byakuya was reminded of this hope as he ran towards Asahina, putting a hand on her back. 

The boy was an enigma, and would never fail to make Byakuya shut his mouth to think for a moment. Makoto was as equally as kind as he was capable, seeking the blackened in every passing trial with the utmost dignity. Weeding them out of the crowd each time, with the help of Kirigiri and anyone with evidence that is. But at the end of the day, it was always Naegi who dealt the final blow. Convicting the murderer, unwillingly sending them to their punishment. With every tear that stained the brunette’s cheek during that absolutely terrorizing experience, Byakuya knew Naegi would have wanted to save everyone in a heartbeat. Killer or not, you were his classmate put into a situation you had no control over. Makoto was always able to find sympathy for anyone, even those who had wronged him. It was a quality that puzzled the heir, making him wonder how the boy had gotten so forgiving. As the hopeless and defeated feeling began to grow in Togami’s stomach, the world seemed to sway. Makoto had given him hope for a fresh start, a new dawn for the Togami name. And that was certainly going to happen, but at what cost? His entire legacy being crushed under Junko’s six-inch heels? It made him sick. All of it. He had walked out of hell straight into a nightmare, the uncertainty for the future was killing him. The catastrophic atmosphere started to blur after each blink.

“Togami.” Kirigiri murmured quietly, placing a gentle hand on his arm. The gesture startled the blond, immediately pulling backwards. Byakuya hadn’t even realized he began to stumble around like a complete buffoon. He was facing the detective now, immediately clenching his fists.

“I’m fine.” He hissed, taking a step backwards. Kyoko said nothing more, letting out a gentle sigh before turning back towards the massive stretch of destroyed land.

Another lie, Byakuya’s hope was crumbling around him. Makoto had effectively convinced the survivors to leave Hope’s Peak and dive headfirst into the terrifying uncertainty of the outside. The blond was powerless against the speed his chest rose and fell, getting quicker with each sharp breath he took. If you could even call them breaths, gasps for air seemed more accurate. This feeling wasn’t new to him, the entire world crashing down had happened many times to Byakuya Togami. But none quite like this, when the world really was crashing and burning. Rubble and ruins scattering the once rich and vibrant earth certainly put things into perspective. He needed support, some kind of it. However, leaning against a wall was all Byakuya was willing to ask for. Taking quick, ragged steps past the three survivors still standing in place, the heir stumbled over to one of the walls the metal door had retraced inside of. Pressing his back against the cool steel made goosebumps form under Togami’s suit. He had a better view of Makoto and Asahina from there, opting to focus on their situation as opposed to falling apart while pondering his own.

Still bent almost all the way over, Aoi dropped to her knees beside Makoto. The boy dropped with her, attempting to give her as much support as she needed. The blond watched as Naegi wrapped an arm around her shoulders, placing his opposite hand gently on the small of her back. Byakuya never thought someone could tremble as much as the swimmer currently was. The whole world seemed to fall silent in favour of Asahina’s cries, followed by the quiet reassurance coming from Makoto. Togami found himself pitying her, he could swallow his pride for this and this alone. The heir swore to himself when Sayaka’s body was found that he would  never  let himself break over this. Not the game, not the deaths, the trials and most certainly not the people he was trapped with against his will. Byakuya almost let himself become absorbed with his thoughts, but Aoi’s choked inhale caused him to gently place his ring and middle fingers over one of his ears. He had heard that sort of preparation before, and knew exactly what was coming. 

The heir watched as Makoto jumped, startled by Asahina’s sudden outburst of emotion. Her mouth fell open, letting out one of the most bloodcurdling screams Byakuya had ever heard. Her cry was similar to the overused sound effects in haunted houses, played on loop to keep the atmosphere as terrorizing as possible. This however, was a completely different story. Her voice was high-pitched, spilling all of the horrors they faced in the killing game in around thirty seconds. Her shriek was piercing, ripping through the heavy air that surrounded the six of them. Togami let his eyes drift towards the others, and his eyes widened. Toko, Yasuhiro and Kyoko all hurriedly rushed over to the screaming brunette, crouching down next to her and Makoto. They all had a hand either on her arm, back or leg to reassure Aoi that they were there for her. Togami had fully expected to see the three of them uncomfortably shuffling in place, letting Makoto handle the situation as best as he could. The heir began to listen, and heard the four of them providing Ahasina as much consolation as they possibly could. Even Hagakure was proving to be quite helpful, lowering his voice into a kind whisper. Byakuya had offered any of them help if they ever needed it just moments ago, right before the gates were opened. Every bone in the heir’s body was shouting, begging for him to stay put.

But something in him couldn’t bare the sight of everyone else being there to help but him.

Byakuya swore he could see himself for a moment, and the others too. It was like an out of body experience, the blond was viewing the scene play out in front of him from somewhere other than his body. He glanced at himself, tall figure still leaning against the wall. Arms laid across his chest, one foot crossed over the other. Bringing his eyes over to the other side of the doors, he saw what could only be described as a huddle around Aoi. The five of them crouched there, trying to ensure she would be okay in the long run. 

And from there, Byakuya was back inside of his body, rushing over to the other survivors. Pushing everything else aside, maybe focusing on something like this would help him cope with things.

Togami slipped to the front of the huddle, right in front of Asahina. Kyoko’s gaze caught his own for a moment, only to pry his eyes away in favour of looking at Asahina. Toko was timidly whispering about how things could only get better from here, Yasuhiro simultaneously agreeing. Aoi’s eyes were closed, hands balled into fists on her knees. Her knuckles had turned white from how hard she was squeezing. The heir couldn’t bring himself to say anything snippy, it was not the time nor the place for that.

“Asahina,” he began, hesitantly stretching his hand out.

All five of their heads seemed to focus on the blond consecutively, none of their eyes wavering from Byakuya after looking over. Tears had stained Aoi’s cheeks, still whimpering as she tilted her head upwards to look at Togami. He had called her name, he might as well get on with what he was saying. His hand was still positioned awkwardly between the two of them, he hadn’t found the courage to place it anywhere. 

“Yeah?” She sniffled, voice cracking in the middle of her response.

Togami decided to take the leap of faith, putting his hand on top of hers. He gave her tight fist a gentle squeeze, and there were no protests.

“We’re safe now.” 

The entire atmosphere seemed to shift in a different direction than where it had been before. Kirigiri shot him a look of approval laced with a lot of confusion, Yasuhiro giving him a lighthearted thumbs up. Toko mumbled something about how sweet her master was, to which Byakuya looked away. His eyes fell on Makoto’s, who had an expression the heir was having trouble describing. The only thing he knew is that it wasn’t bad, but something different than what he had seen before. There was another silence that fell among the six of them, Byakuya unable to avert his gaze from the brunette. Makoto’s eyes were wide, and his mouth fell open. The two of them must’ve looked as if they were staring at each other in complete disbelief from how bewildered they were, but that wasn’t the case. Naegi’s shocked jaw drop had morphed into a wide smile, Byakuya found it rather contagious. The blond was trying excessively hard to stifle the grin beginning to form on his face, but for the first time, Byakuya found comfort in the fact that he couldn’t succeed. Not even two minutes ago the heir had been on the verge of panic, the realization that his entire legacy had been thrown in the garbage had almost overtaken him. This little moment wouldn’t fix that, but it somehow seemed to make things appear a lot less bleak. That smile being directed his way.. it did something to him. 

Aoi’s remark seemed to interrupt both of their thoughts “thank you, Togami.” 

Makoto and Byakuya’s heads snapped back towards the sobbing brunette, who was now smiling as well. The two of them shot each other another glance before turning their attention fully back to Aoi. Togami had shuffled closer to her, running his thumb back and forth across her hand as she wept. Kyoko raised a brow at the heir’s sudden change in behaviour, a perplexed frown on her face. Byakuya returned the silent question with a shrug, the only answer he could come up with. He wasn’t totally sure why he had run over, it certainly wasn’t just to keep his promise earlier. Togami wasn’t fond of being pitied, or receiving attention similar to what Aoi was being shown in that moment. Although, there was this strange gut feeling that urged him to run over with the other survivors. Be a part of the group. The blond frankly had no idea what to do with the sudden realization that helping out was something he felt comfortable doing. It had taken him away from his own internal battle with despair. And truth be told, it  helped  him. Even the three words he uttered to someone who was sobbing, broken and lost had made the despair he was feeling momentarily appear minuscule.

Asahina seemed to have stopped crying, gently pulling her hand away from Byakuya’s grip to wipe her eyes. The five of them slowly drew away from her, letting Aoi fully collect herself before coming back to her senses. This process took a couple of minutes, but they were a couple of minutes that no one minded waiting. Nobody spoke, most likely out or respect. Asahina’s pained noises began to die down as she let out a final sigh, seemingly relieved from crying so hard in such a short amount of time. Her voice was croaky when she thanked Byakuya, that scream took a lot out of the poor girl. After she went quiet, she didn’t lift her head. Remaining on the ground, Asahina didn’t seem to be able to get up. Togami picked up on Makoto’s immediate reaction, frowning when he stopped himself. Without saying anything, Byakuya soon understood what he was doing. The boy was giving Togami an opportunity to fully reconcile with Aoi, and he would most definitely thank Naegi later. Offering a hand, the girl finally titled her head upwards. She smiled once more, reaching up to grab ahold of Byakuya.

The blond tightened his grip, allowing Asahina to get her bearings. He pulled her upwards, careful to not yank her too aggressively. Once she was up, she let go of Byakuya’s hand. They stood their briefly, a mutual understanding now being formed between them. Their short exchange was interrupted by Kyoko clearing her throat, although it wasn’t necessarily rude or abrupt. The blond was sure she simply wanted everyone’s attention, and she successfully gained it. As Aoi turned around, Byakuya found himself alongside Makoto once more. The two of them smiled a second time, Byakuya was relieved to not have to keep his default scowl for a change. Kirigiri began to speak about how they could all recover from this, although everyone seemed to be in their own thoughts. The heir was certain she had realized this, but in a way, maybe he was speaking to herself more so than anyone else. It must have felt nice to outwardly voice a positive attitude, but the six of them had learned some intense ways to soothe themselves very quickly. Byakuya was still looking straight at Makoto, and the other boy was doing the same. They had these glances of understanding since the beginning, and Byakuya was grateful the two of them could stand in silence with no issue. Not to say that the heir didn’t enjoy Makoto talking, because that most definitely wasn’t true. The brunette opened his mouth to say something, but the two of them were interrupted once more. 

A faint rumbling ripped through the air, startling the survivors. Byakuya and Makoto’s interaction was cut off for what seemed like the nth time that day, however the blond knew there would be plenty of time to speak once they had found a place to sleep.

Holy shit, where were they going to sleep?

The new worry flared inside of Byakuya’s stomach, creating a new pit even stronger than the one beforehand. The heir’s stress headache made itself very apparent, striking both of his temples. He let out a low, frustrated groan as he tilted his head down to pinch his forehead. Togami hadn’t let that thought come to the surface, although he could feel it bubbling steadily as he attempted to distract himself. The six of them were finally out of the hellhole they had been forced to call home unknowingly for the past two years. The only issue was now they had nowhere else to go. _Nowhere_.  They would have to quite literally rebuild the world from the ground up, starting with finding a safe place to do so. Byakuya had already deduced they weren’t the only survivors on the planet, the notion that Hope’s Peak was the sole safe haven in all of the world was simply unrealistic to consider. The blond began to weigh their possibilities. They could attempt to find an abandoned building somewhere to hideout in, or if push comes to shove, they could build somewhere safe to stay. The possible lengths they would have to go to in order to ensure their safety danced around in Byakuya’s mind. They wasn’t exactly anxious thoughts, but overwhelming. However, some sort of hope always seemed to prevail when Makoto was around, Togami couldn’t help but wonder what his optimism would bring.

Toko’s breathy declaration snapped everybody back into reality.

“A helicopter!” 

Her cry made everyone glance up to the source of the whirling, and it certainly was a helicopter. While a possible rescue seemed plausible, the survivors couldn’t come to that conclusion until they were sure there weren’t any machine guns strapped to the side of the massive chopper flying towards them. 

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you enjoyed the first chapter, i promise there is SO much more to come after this! 💕


End file.
